In the lead up to the release of their latest studio album Kveikur, Sigur Rós are turning heads and quite literally turning yellow, scoring a spot on an upcoming episode of The Simpsons.
No, you didn’t read that wrong, Iceland’s finest musical export are becoming Simpsonified and heading to Springfield on the finale episode of the latest seires, set to air in the US on May 19.
Members Jón Þór “Jónsi” Birgisson, Georg “Goggi” Hólm, and Orri Páll Dýrason will also be scoring a new track on the episode, as well as an interpretation of the recognisable Simpsons theme song. The band has confirmed on their website that they have “written and performed more original music for The Simpsons than any other outside band in the show’s history.”
Revealing an image on their website of the band members in their cartoon forms (see below), Sigur Rós also provided fans with a synopsis of the episode, explaining how Iceland and the band tie in to Springfield’s yellow world:
In the episode, entitled ‘The Saga of Carl’, Homer, Moe, Lenny, and Carl team up to buy a winning lottery ticket, but after Carl snags the ticket and flees to his home country of Iceland, the guys head there in hot pursuit. The band’s music scores Homer’s visit to Iceland, marking an unprecedented musical collaboration between the show and a band.”
Matt Groening, the creator of the 25 year old program, announced “I’m a longtime fan of Sigur Rós, and we’re honored to bring their Icelandic, ambient moods to our goofy cartoon show.”
Sigur Rós joins a gigantic list of guest stars that have become four-fingered cartoons to feature on the world-loved television series, including U2, Coldplay, The Red Hot Chili Peppers, and The White Stripes – just a fraction of the hundreds of famous faces to have visit Springfield over the last 500 episodes.
The Sigur Rós episode airs only weeks before the release of the band’s latest record Kveikur, due on June 18th in Australia via XL Recordings. It is the band’s first self-produced album as a trio, after farewelling keyboardist Kjartan Sveinsson in 2012, who left the group ahead of their world tour for their last studio album, Valtari.
Support for the record included the band’s first Australian visit in four years for November’s Harvest Festival, and performed only two sideshows in Perth and Adelaide, with many fans anticipating a potential Australian tour following the release of Kveikur.
Sigur Rós have already treated fans to two singles from the forthcoming nine-track release. “Brennisteinn” was our first taste of the newly three-piece’s new sound, presenting a bolder and more aggressive tone than their traditional ambient, atmospheric work. The crunching undertones and earthy sounds of “Brennisteinn” took on a darker melody, perhaps filling the gap of the absent keyboardist which contributed to the signature lush sounds.
The outfit then released their second single in late April, “ísjaki”, via Sigur Rós’ first ever lyrical video, which may be no help as it is still written in Icelandic and Hopelandic – known in Iceland as Vonlenska language, it involves a non-literal form of communication which differs from constructed languages.
Focusing entirely on the sounds of language (lacking grammar, meaning and distinct words), lead singer Jónsi creates the emotive sound of Sigur Rós by using mere melodies and rhythm, rather than distinguishable words.
Described by the band as “a form of gibberish vocals that fits to the music”, we can expect a few gags over Hopelandic from our favourite Springfield family when the Sigur Rós episode airs on the 19th of May.
